College Football Playoff: Rankings Predictions, Schedule, How to Watch

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. #9 of the Washington Huskies simulates shooting an arrow against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Corvallis, Oregon. Washington’s latest College Football Playoff ranking will be unveiled on Tuesday night.

The most notable shift in this season’s College Football Playoff rankings occurred last week when Georgia jumped Ohio State to claim the No. 1 spot. And another major move could be on the way when the latest installment of the rankings is released Tuesday night.

Washington, ranked fifth in the first three College Football Playoff rankings this year, could make a move up to No. 4 and into the playoff field after a win over No. 11 Oregon State. The Huskies boast perhaps the best win of any team this season—a 36-33 victory over now 10-1 Oregon—and have defeated six bowl-eligible teams overall. The committee may finally reward that résumé with a top four spot. If it does, Florida State may swap places with Washington after a disheartening weekend that saw starting quarterback Jordan Travis go down with a season-ending leg injury.

And there is plenty more in store in this edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.

As we head into college football’s rivalry week, headlined by an undefeated Big Ten matchup between Ohio State and Michigan, here’s what to know about the release of the selection committee’s fourth rankings of the season.

College Football Playoff Ranking Predictions

Each of the top 10 teams from last week’s College Football Playoff rankings won over the weekend. But there still could be some movement among the top four on Tuesday night.

Here’s what the top of the rankings could look like:

1. Georgia (11-0, No. 1 last week): The two-time defending national champions will remain in the top spot after another dominant showing against a ranked SEC team. Georgia is coming off a 38-10 win on the road over No. 18 Tennessee.
2. Ohio State (11-0, No. 2 last week): Ohio State handily defeated Minnesota, 37-3, over the weekend and has now outscored its last two opponents 75-6. Not a bad streak to be on heading into “the Game.”
3. Michigan (11-0, No. 3 last week): Any chance of Michigan leaping its rival into the No. 2 spot dwindled when the Wolverines nearly found themselves in trouble during a narrow 31-24 win over Maryland. Both the Buckeyes and Wolverines are 11-0 heading into the latest installment in their rivalry. The winner will advance to the Big Ten Championship Game, remain undefeated and continue to control its own College Football Playoff destiny. The loser? Not so much.
4. Washington (11-0, No. 5 last week): This should finally be the week that the Huskies reach the top four. Washington has won three games in a row against Pac-12 teams that were ranked at the time. The latest was a 22-20 win on the road over No. 11 Oregon State.
5. Florida State (11-0, No. 4 last week): Florida State remains undefeated, though an uncharacteristically poor start (it trailed 13-0 at the end of the first quarter) against North Alabama in an eventual 58-13 win will likely be enough for Washington to switch places with the Seminoles. This will also be the first chance to see how the committee reacts to Travis’ injury.
6. Oregon (10-1, No. 6 last week): The Ducks will likely remain the top-ranked one-loss team in this week’s rankings. Oregon can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game with a win over Oregon State this weekend, which would set up quarterback Bo Nix and company to avenge their loss to Washington.
7. Texas (10-1, No. 7 last week): The Longhorns stayed atop the Big 12 with a 26-16 road win over Iowa State last weekend. A trip to the conference championship game will be on the way with a win against Texas Tech on Saturday. And the Longhorns would love the opportunity to face Oklahoma, the only team to beat Texas this season.
8. Alabama (10-1, No. 8 last week): Alabama won its ninth consecutive game with a 66-10 thrashing of Chattanooga. But a Week 2 loss to the Longhorns will continue to keep the Crimson Tide at the No. 8 slot. At least for now. Alabama will face Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in just over a week, and a win over the top-ranked Bulldogs could be enough ammunition to overcome a head-to-head loss to Texas.
9. Missouri (9-2, No. 9 last week): Missouri escaped against a five-win Florida team thanks to a go-ahead field goal with five seconds remaining in a 33-31 victory. A New Year’s Six berth could be on the line in the regular-season finale against Arkansas.
10. Louisville (10-1, No. 10 last week): There is a chance Louisville could jump over Missouri to No. 9. But either way, coach Jeff Brohm’s first season leading the Cardinals is going about as well as the program could have hoped. Louisville is coming off a 38-31 win over Miami, which clinched the school a spot in the ACC Championship Game against Florida State. And maybe, if all goes well in Kentucky the next couple of weeks, a 12-1, conference-champion Louisville team could make some noise during the final selection show.

When Are the CFP Rankings Released?

This week’s edition of the 2023 College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The fourth rankings show of the season will air on ESPN and be available to stream via the ESPN app.

College Football Playoff Release Schedule

The College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday will mark the fourth of six consecutive weeks in which the committee displays its top 25.

The next set of rankings will air at 7 p.m. ET next Tuesday on ESPN ahead of that weekend’s conference championship games. The final rankings, which will determine not only the College Football Playoff top four but the other New Year’s Six bowl matchups, will be released on Selection Day—December 3. The show starts at noon ET.

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